Drum-roll please!!!
We’ve chosen a name for our vintage trailer!
Watch this video and see if you can guess which one we picked:
If you guessed Gidget, you’re right!
Not familiar with Gidget?
The original Gidget movie starring Sandra Dee was released in 1959.
“Gidget Goes Hawaiian” was later released starring Deborah Walley and a spin-off TV series aired starring Sally Field.
The Gidget movies were based on the “original” surfer girl, Kathy Kohner Zuckerman
and girl surfers are often affectionately nicknamed “Gidget.”
Gidget had been my original pick for a name,
but I thought it would be fun to have each member of
our family give a suggestion and then throw it out there on social media!
Here are the results!!
1. Elsa (Olivia’s pick) Votes: 1
2. Frozen (Natalie’s pick) Votes: 1
3. Cindy (Taylor’s pick) Votes: 0
4. Clementine (Jay’s pick) Votes: 20
5. Gidget (Sarah’s pick) Votes: 28
6. Rosie (Olivia’s pick) Votes: 2
7. Christmas Tree (Taylor’s pick) Votes: 1
8. Ariel (Natalie’s pick) Votes: 0
We also had a few names thrown into the mix by thoughtful readers:
Lucy, Spam, Hank, Aluminum Falcon, The Sun Blazer… and so on! LOL
And since I’ve fallen a bit behind in updating on the progress, let me catch you up!
Here’s what’s been happening…
Demo, demo, and more demo…
Lots of time spent sealing cracks, filling holes and covering spots that were once covered with…old socks??
We bought Gidget off of craigslist. She is a 1956 Century that had been living in someone’s backyard in the U.P. for the past several years. We didn’t have a title, so we took her to a landscaping supply company that allowed us to have her weighed. Original titles that I found on-line stated that she should have weighed around 1,200 pounds. The official report that we got says 1,800 which is still safely under our 3,500 pound towing capacity. In Michigan, you don’t need a title to get a license plate and registration. But they did require some basic information and the weight. Gidget has been weighted and is now officially registered and licensed!
Taylor had been BEGGING me to help since they day we bought Gidget.
I finally felt that all the unsafe, disgusting and nightmare inducing substances
were removed and it was safe for him to join me.
He LOVED his first painting experience!
After all the damage was removed, I replaced wood and painted everything white using Behr’s premium paint and primer in one. I originally figured I would use an oil based paint to cover the glossy wood walls and cabinets. But, everything I read, strongly advised against oil based paint. Oil based paint gets very hard and cracks easier on a moving object like a trailer. I also decided to trust Behr’s claim of “superior stain blocking power” and did not use an additional primer. Well, 3 coats of paint later and I still need to do a 4th. Would a primer like Kilz have done a better job? Who knows. What’s done is done and I’m happy with the way the paint has held up so far. It seems to have dried well and created a really durable finish.
I removed the hardware and spray painted it gold. Not sure it will hold up, but I really just wanted it to look nice!
The back-splash I used is actually 2 large sheets of plastic faux tin!
I found it at Menards very reasonably priced and worked great
to cover over a really damaged area of the wall that I didn’t want to
have to fix!! Shhhhh :)
After weeks of work, I really just needed her to look nice. The floor is not done,
the electrical is not done. There is lost of work to do and probably more holes to cut
in the walls, but at least there has been progress! I bought these copper mugs on ebay
added a Christmas tree and some nice smelling candles. I originally thought it would
be fun to sleep out there on Christmas eve, or at least get up and have Christmas
breakfast at the table, but she wasn’t quite done enough or clean enough.
Don’t Miss a Post!
We Bought a Vintage Trailer: Before Pictures
Vintage Trailer Renovating Day One: Demolition
Vintage Trailer Renovating Day Two and Three: Securing the Exterior
Vintage Trailer Update: Meet Gidget!
Robert
Sarah
great job I am just doing finishing touches on the same camper I picked up north Michigan 1964 century all my progress is on flickr I think if you log on flickr and look for century camper or trailer you may come across it,
it was a big project it will be one year next month
wow
Sarah Lemp
Robert, I will definitely look you up! You don’t come across too many other centuries! Did you see my other post and the current progress? Lots of work for sure! But we’re really getting our use out of it this summer.